Imperatives

Imperative sentences

When we form imperative sentences, we use the imperative mood; the imperative mood is a grammatical mood that forms a command or request. Imperatives can be found everywhere, from recipes and user manuals to road signs and advertising; however, they are most common in everyday speech.

An imperative sentence is formed using a base verb, such as stop, and usually has no subject. There is often no subject present in an imperative sentence because the subject is assumed to be you - the reader or the listener. Imperative sentences end in either a full stop (.) Or an exclamation mark (!), Depending on the urgency of the command.

To put it simply, an imperative tells you to do something.

Imperative examples

Let's take a look at some common examples of imperative sentences. You'll notice that some sentences are very short, even one-word sentences, whereas others are longer and more complex. You may also notice that some sentences create a sense of urgency, whereas others have used the word 'please' to show politeness.

Here are some imperative sentence examples:

See if you can identify the purpose of each sentence. Note that the imperative verbs, such as join and bring, are in bold.

Fig. 1 - Slow down is an example of an imperative.

How can I form an imperative?

As you can see from the imperative examples above, the typical form (structure) of an imperative sentence is a verb without a subject. These verbs are called imperative verbs or 'bossy' verbs and are always in the present tense. This means we use the base form of the verb, e.g. give, have, go, and stop, and not to give, to have, to go, and to stop.

Each sentence is missing a subject because the subject (you) is implied. Take a look at this sentence as an example 'try the other door'. This sentence could also read 'You should try the other door'. However, the subject is obvious and has therefore been removed from the sentence.

Imperatives with a subject

Typically, an imperative doesn't have a subject as the subject is considered obvious. However, we can add a subject for emphasis, make the subject clearer, or demand attention.

Here are some examples of imperative sentences with the subject.

Imperatives with always, never, and ever

We can also use the words always, never, and ever when forming an imperative; they usually go before the verb in the sentence. These words are adverbs of frequency and can be used to add further information to an imperative.

Imperatives with do

We can add the word 'do' to the beginning of our imperative sentences to make the command appear more polite.

What are the different types of imperative?

There are several different types of imperatives that all serve different purposes. Sometimes we use an imperative to warn someone of danger, and sometimes we use an imperative to simply wish someone a pleasant day. Let's take a look at some of the different types of imperatives and their uses.

Command or request imperatives

The command is one of the most commonly used imperatives. A command directly requests that someone does something or stops doing something. You can turn your command into a polite request by adding the word 'please'.

Command imperatives are most commonly used in everyday speech. You will likely hear your parents and teachers using these kinds of imperative! Although, if you take a look at all the different signs around you, I'm sure you will spot many command imperatives.

Instruction imperatives

An instruction imperative is similar to a command. However, a command is a direct order to do something, whereas an instruction gives information or knowledge the subject may want or need.

Instruction imperatives are frequently used in both written and spoken English. They are commonly found in user manuals, recipe books, and road signs.

Advice imperatives

We can also use imperatives when offering advice to people.

Advice imperatives are most commonly used in everyday speech. You will most likely use them when talking with your friends and family.

Invitation imperatives

This type of imperative extends an invitation to someone.

These imperatives are used regularly in everyday conversation. You will also see them on, you guessed it, invitations!

Wish imperatives

Wish imperatives are sometimes referred to as unreal commands - this is because we use them to express hope rather than giving an actual command.

These polite imperatives are well-wishing rather than commands. It is unlikely that the person who said “have a nice day” isn't demanding the subject does anything specific with their day - they are simply hoping it turns out to be a good one.

Fig. 2 - Wish imperatives shouldn't be taken literally.

Warning imperatives

Warning imperatives are usually very short. They are used to warn others of danger or an incoming problem.

Warning imperatives are most commonly used in everyday situations and are usually unplanned.

Types of imperatives: further examples

Let's take a look at that list of example imperatives again. Did you manage to identify the purpose of each sentence correctly?